APC Chiefs Beware: Scheme to Ram Unwanted Candidate Down Adavi/Okehi’s Throat for 2027 Reps Race Risks 2023 Disaster Repeat
.….Insiders raise alarm over alleged godfatherism, imposition tactics reminiscent of past losses that cost party dearly in Kogi Central
Your Excellency, His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, Executive Governor of Kogi State; CC: His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello, former Governor of Kogi State, and Engr. Aliyu Momoh Ezzu, Kogi State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
We, concerned members of the APC in Adavi Local Government Area, write to alert you to a dangerous political development unfolding in our zone ahead of the 2027 House of Representatives election for the Adavi/Okehi Federal Constituency.
This is a clarion call for utmost caution under your leadership, Your Excellency, to avert a repeat of the party’s humiliating loss in the 2023 general elections, where our APC candidate was roundly defeated by the PDP in this very constituency, underscoring the perils of disregarding the people’s will.Imposing candidates against the grassroots wishes has always sown seeds of disunity, bitterness, and division within party ranks, ultimately sending APC into elections fractured and starved of the vital support needed for victory, a lesson painfully learned from the defeat of Engr. Idris Ozi in 2023.
The immediate past APC State Chairman, Hon. Abdullahi Bello (aka Dollar), notorious for monetizing party positions, is at it again with his signature shenanigans in Adavi LGA. Having demanded a whopping N150 million from the incumbent Commissioner for Works, Hon. Muhammed Ahovi Yusuf, for the 2027 House of Reps ticket in Adavi/Okehi—complete with N100 million already pocketed before vacating office as chairman, he remains fixated on sealing this lucrative deal, heedless of the formidable PDP opposition we must confront.
This is the same man who recently auctioned the APC LGA chairmanship ticket for N30 million, following a trail of similar sales during his tenure, fostering a toxic “money-for-ticket” culture that has eroded trust among genuine party loyalists and shattered their sense of belonging.
Your Excellency, this former chairman’s reckless commodification of tickets, sparing no sacred cow, not even second-term bids traded for billions in his insatiable money lust, directly fueled APC’s collapse in Adavi during the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly polls. Just recently, a so-called stakeholders’ meeting was hastily convened in the LGA, deliberately excluding key party figures to rubber-stamp their ulterior motives; what was billed as a strategic session to map the party’s path forward devolved into a farce of endorsements, shamelessly tilting the 2027 House of Reps slot toward the Aniku Clan in Adavi, home base of the Commissioner for Works.
“Prof. Avidime Will Provide Purposeful Leadership in KSP” – Yahaya Bello
While we care little about the candidate’s origin in this zoning arrangement between Adavi and Okehi LGAs, the crooked process of emergence is what alarms true supporters and stakeholders; any forced imposition of an unpopular aspirant will trigger backlash, protest votes, and cascading defeats across the 2027 polls, from Presidential to Senatorial and State House of Assembly races in our LGA.
As patriotic APC members in Adavi committed to our party’s triumph in 2027, we humbly pray thus: First, that the selection of the House of Reps candidate for Adavi/Okehi follows democratic norms, affording all aspirants a level playing field; second, that primaries are held in a free, fair, and transparent manner; and third, that suppression of ambitions ceases, allowing every contender unhindered participation. Be assured, Your Excellency, of our unwavering loyalty should these pleas be heeded, positioning APC for resounding victories ahead.
Thank you in anticipation of your championship of internal democracy in our great party.Concerned APC Stakeholders, Adavi LGA
Below is the unedited open letter
The Executive Governor of Kogi State
His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo
Cc:
Former Governor of Kogi State
His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello
Kogi State Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC)
Engr Aliyu Momoh Ezzu
CALCULATED ATTEMPT TO IMPOSE AN UNPOPULAR CANDIDATE FOR THE 2027 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ELECTION IN ADAVI/OKEHI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON THE PARTY’S ELECTORAL SUCCESS, A CALL FOR CAUTION
Your Excellency, sir, we are writing as concerned members of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adavi Local Government Area to draw your attention to recent political development in the area as regarding the choice of APC candidate for House of Representatives election in Adavi/Okehi in preparation for the 2027 general election.This letter is meant to serve as a great caution for the party under your leadership, your Excellency to forestall the repetition of the party’s negative experience in the 2023 general election in which the APC candidate lost to the PDP in the aforementioned federal constituency.
Imposing a candidate against the popular will of the people breeds disunity, hatred and divisiveness among party members with the negative consequences of the party going into election disunited and making it difficult to get the necessary support to win in an election. This is the bane of Idris Ozi’s defeat in the 2023 general election.
The immediate past State Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Honourable Abdullahi Bello (DOLLAR) is out to play another political shenanigan with the people of Adavi LGA. As a former Chairman who’s known for trading positions for millions of naira, and haven charged the incumbent Commissioner for Works, Honourable Muhammed Ahovi Yusuf 150 million naira for the party’s ticket for House of Representatives election in Adavi/Okehi Federal Constituency election come 2027, and haven received part payment of 100 million naira before his exit from office as party Chairman is hell bent at perfecting his deal in order to get the balance of his payment mindless of the fact that we have an opposition to contend with. It is in the same manner he sold APC Chairmanship ticket in the LGA for 30 million naira in the recent time with previous ones also sold out under his tenure. This money for hand ticket for you attitude on the part of the former Chairman has made numerous genuine supporters of the party lost confidence in the party and that sense of belonging dashed out.
Your Excellency, the way and manner the former Chairman traded party tickets for money irrespective of whose ox may be gored, trading your second term ticket for billions of naira wouldn’t have been a big deal for him because of his uncontrolled quest, thirst and desire for money. The way and manner he has handled the affairs of the party in the time past led to the defeat of the party in Adavi LGA in the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly election.
Recently a stakeholders meeting of the party was convened in the LGA with critical stakeholders of the party deliberately schemed out of the meeting to get the desired result for their dirty political motives. A meeting which was purportedly called to chat a way forward for the party suddenly turned to an endorsement galore with the Aniku Clan in Adavi where the Commissioner for Works hailed from, being favoured to produce the House of Representatives candidate of the party for the 2027 election.
Your Excellency, where the APC House of Representatives candidate for the 2027 National Assembly election in Adavi/Okehi federal constituency hailed hailed from does not matter in this regard but how such candidate emerged is of great concern to supporters and critical stakeholders of the party in the LGA. Any attempt to impose an unpopular candidate against the popular will of the people and members of the party in Adavi LGA billed to produce the next House of Representatives member for the federal constituency based on the existing zoning arrangement between the two LGAs would have negative consequences on the party and would lead to protest votes against the candidate in the 2027 election with multiplier negative implications on other elections such as the Presidential, Senatorial and State House of Assembly election in the LGA.
Your Excellency, as concerned members of the party in the LGA who are interested in the party emerging victorious in the 2027 general election, below are our prayers.
– the choice of the party’s candidate for the position of House of Representatives in Adavi/Okehi Federal Constituency should follow democratic procedures by allowing a level playing ground for all aspirants
– party primaries should be conducted in the most free, fair and transparent manner
– the suppression of people’s political aspiration should be avoided and allow all contenders to freely participate in the party’s primary
Your Excellency, be rest assured of our continued support for the party, if these our prayers are being granted and the party positioned for greater political victory.
Thank you your Excellency, in anticipation of your support for internal party democracy in our great party, APC.
CONCERNED APC STAKEHOLDERS FROM ADAVI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA.
